DENA LAND NEWS A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER BY LINDA LANE-WHITE—KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY SERVING MY HOMETOWN OF ALTADENA/PASADENA AND OUTLYING AREAS May 2009
Linda Lane-White “Singing” Realtor ® CA Lic #01091347 Notary Public (626)786-1231
Happy Mother’s Day! In May we finally sink deeply into Spring, hoping for a glorious summer. It is just great that one of the most recognizable special days for May is Mother’s Day, celebrated nearly worldwide in one way (and on different days) or another. If you are still lucky enough to have your mother to honor, I know you will be sure to remember your parent, your home life—and of course your home. For so many, their fondest memories of family and childhood are the people — and the places the people lived. Isn’t it strange how a house is useless without people
but the right house…. The right house is more than just shelter. The right house is home to your joy. Happy Mother’s Day! LINDA LANE-WHITE To my Mom, Nancy Lane. Thank you for making me and nurturing me to adulthood. Lots of love, hugs and kisses for you on Mother’s Day! xoxoxoxox
New mortgage programs that might help you! P 5
A 7-Point Spring Checklist You Can Do Now
W
hen you’re busy, it is so easy to overlook the flaws in a home’s maintenance. Still you have to take the time, if you want to preserve the value of your home, the most expensive purchase most will ever make. Even if your house looks well maintained, you should give it this quick 7-point review. 1 Trees. Check them out. Dying trees and dead branches are an emergency waiting to happen. The first spring storm that comes around might give you some very serious damage. Look for bent branches, if you had a heavy snow storm in the winter. Look for tree roots peeking through the soil as it can suggest a shallow-rooted plant. 2 Pavement condition. To put it simply, cracks happen. Still, you should evaluate the pavement condition and ask yourself if it appears generally solid.
3 Gutters. They should be clean. 4 Air conditioner condenser. The first thing you think about when you look at a house is no doubt NOT the air conditioner condenser. But it is worth taking a look. The condenser should be free of debris, leaves and dirt. 5 Deck integrity. Look for areas of wood rot, chipping or raised fibers on the wood. Observe the overall strength and stability of the deck. 6 Garage door operation. Simply: Does the door open and close? That is not something you want to find out after you move in. 7 Downspouts. Look to see that rain is directed away from the foundation of the house. You will know best how each of these points should be weighted. For example, you might expect a newer home to have a pristine driveway. Meanwhile, an older home packed with charm but might have a driveway with a crack or two. You'll have to decide how important each point is.
Green Solutions for your Garden: Keep dogs from digging in your garden: Mix Tabasco sauce, garlic, onion and cayenne pepper in a bucket of water. Let it sit for several hours and then sprinkle it over the areas of the garden where dogs have been digging. Keep cats from using your soil as a litter box: Toss lemon peels in the garden. Also, using lemon peel rind and water sprayed on plants will repel Aphids.